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Chicago Tribune
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Dick Carter, producer and director of WTTW arts programming, dies
Dick Carter was a prolific producer and director for WTTW-Ch. 11 who from the 1960s through the '90s oversaw the making of dozens of music and arts programs, some of which aired nationally. Carter's best-known production was 'Soundstage,' which showcased major musical acts over its 11-year run in the 1970s and '80s. Carter also was an expert at directing dance programs, and he directed and produced telecasts of numerous ballets created by the late Chicago ballerina and choreographer Ruth Page. 'He could work in dance and music and opera and 'Soundstage,' but he could even make a talking-head show like 'Chicago Tonight' or 'Chicago Week in Review' exciting,' said longtime WTTW producer Jamie Ceaser. Carter, 85, died of complications from prostate cancer April 11 at his home in Palm Springs, California, said his husband, John MacMillan. He moved to Palm Springs in 2000. Born in Flint, Michigan, Carter grew up in nearby East Lansing. He played the organ and initially considered being a music major at Michigan State University before receiving a degree in broadcasting. Carter worked first for PBS station KTCA-TV in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he directed dance and opera programs. He joined WTTW in 1967 where early on, he directed station fundraising programs such as 'Stars for Eleven.' Carter also oversaw Channel 11-produced programs that were nationally distributed. One of his earliest WTTW productions was directing 'Kukla, Fran and Ollie,' the puppet-and-adult show produced in Chicago from 1947 until 1957 on two local network stations. In the late 1960s, WTTW revived the show, which was popular with children and adults, and distributed it nationally under the direction of Carter, who had started watching the show at age 11. Carter was executive producer of WTTW's 'Chicago Festival,' an award-winning series in the late 1960s and early 1970s that provided a local showcase for all segments of the arts. Carter also directed segments of 'Chicago Festival,' including dance programs. In 1968, WTTW won its first National Educational Television award for its 'Chicago Festival' broadcast of the comic ballet 'Coppelia,' by the Illinois Ballet Company. Carter won an award for directing that telecast. In a 1971 Tribune interview, Carter acknowledged the innate challenges of directing dance on TV. 'Ballet is always choreographed for the stage,' Carter said. 'Shots would be so wide that people wouldn't see what's going on. We change a good deal of the choreography, having the dancers move diagonally back and forth in the camera instead of across the stage.' In 1978, Carter produced and directed an opera version of the Brothers Grimm fairy tale 'Hansel and Gretel,' and a telecast of Page's ballet 'Frankie and Johnny.' In 1982, Carter produced and directed a one-hour production of Page's ballet of 'The Merry Widow.' The program cost WTTW $275,000 to hire a cast and build scenery, and the production, which aired in 1984, won a national Peabody award. Carter also directed a TV version of Page's 1961 work, 'Die Fledermaus,' for WTTW in 1986. Carter's work for the station extended beyond dance programs. In 1974, Channel 11 gained the rights to four silent films starring Greta Garbo. Carter scored the films with musical soundtracks that he composed. Carter's participation in the nationally distributed 'Soundstage' program began toward the end of its first season, in 1975. Carter ultimately directed more than 60 episodes of 'Soundstage,' by his own count, according to a 2000 Tribune article about his career, and he was part of the program until its sign-off in 1985. One of Carter's most memorable 'Soundstage' episodes was a 1979 salute to jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. In a 1985 Tribune interview, Carter called the episode 'a high point of my career,' and added that jazz pianist and bandleader Count Basie, who had appeared in the broadcast as well, came into the control room during the show and would tap Carter's shoulder with glee in time to Fitzgerald's singing. 'Even in the '70s, we never lip synched,' Carter told the Tribune. 'We had lots of time for each act. So we let performers do what they did best. And we made it real.' 'Despite low budgets, Carter gave the program a clean and professional look, with quick switching reverse angle and crowd reaction shots,' the Tribune wrote in 1985. Versatile, Carter could direct any kind of broadcast. He directed some episodes of the WTTW-founded national movie review show 'Sneak Previews,' and he also directed the news and public affairs programs 'Chicago Tonight' and 'Chicago Week in Review.' Carter also directed 'As We See It,' a 1979 series on school desegregation, and he produced and directed a show about the Hubbard Street Dance Company in 1981. Later, WTTW produced some original drama programming, and station bosses tapped Carter to direct a drama show, 'Jesse and the Bandit Queen,' a televised adaptation of a David Freeman play that was taped in 1986 and aired in 1988. And in 1987, he directed 'Remembering Bing,' a documentary about entertainer Bing Crosby. 'He was great at what he did, and he could get totally frustrated when things didn't go right,' recalled producer Tom Weinberg, who created WTTW's 'Image Union' program. 'He knew what he was doing in a major way. Nobody was as involved as he was.' Carter continued directing pledge drives for WTTW, including a notable one filmed at the Chicago Theatre in 1988 titled 'A Grand Night,' which featured Shirley Jones, the Hubbard Street Dance Company and many other acts. He directed the station's 1989 broadcast of the Ollie Awards, which honored quality children's programs across the nation. In 1991, Carter co-produced and co-directed a WTTW program about blues singer Koko Taylor, titled 'Queen of the Blues.' And in 1994, he directed 'Remembering Chicago,' an historic look at Chicago featuring Irv Kupcinet, Studs Terkel, Bill Gleason and Chuck Schaden. Carter directed episodes of a short-lived 'Soundstage' reboot called 'Center Stage,' a live concert television series that aired from 1993 until 1994 and that was an unprecedented co-production agreement between WTTW and cable's VH-1. Until his final years at WTTW, Carter produced and directed telecasts of the Golden Apple Foundation's Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching. Carter retired from WTTW at the start of 2000 and moved to California. He also is survived by a brother, John. There were no services.
CBC
27-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Organizer of trans history conference in Canada says U.S. participants now afraid to cross the border
Social Sharing The chair of transgender studies at the University of Victoria is worried about attendance at this year's Moving Trans History Forward conference, with expectations of a 40 per cent drop in numbers. Aaron Devor says potential U.S. attendees are reluctant to cross the border — not because of what might happen when they enter Canada, but what could happen when they try to return to the United States. He says the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump sent a chill through the trans community in January with an executive order that the federal government recognizes two sexes, male and female, that cannot change and are an "immutable biological classification" from conception. Devor says the biennial trans history conference that begins Thursday was hoping for 500 attendees based on past events, but only about 300 are now expected. "The difference, I attribute almost entirely to Americans being afraid to leave their own country," said Devor, who is the founder and host of the conferences. WATCH | Transgender Americans feel unsafe following Trump changes: Trans Americans look to Canada for safety after Trump's re-election 2 months ago Duration 7:51 Trump's executive order says that all government-issued identification, including passports and visas, must "accurately reflect the holder's sex." The U.S. State Department has said it will stop issuing travel documents with the "X" gender marker preferred by many non-binary people, and it will only issue passports with an "M" or "F" sex marker matching the person's "biological sex" at birth. "What I see has changed in light of the Trump administration and the actions that have been taken by the Trump administration is that trans-plus people from the U.S. are very nervous about crossing into Canada to come to the conference because they have to return to the United States," said Devor. The conference, which is running until Sunday, involves activists, academics, and artists from across the world, the university says, with more than 100 guests making presentations. The organizers say the event addresses "both our history and the crucial issues that impact us today and into the future — locally, nationally, and globally." Retired U.S. lieutenant colonel to speak American philanthropist Jennifer Pritzker, who gave a foundational gift to help start the chair in transgender studies at the University of Victoria, is scheduled as a speaker on Thursday night. Prtizker is a retired as a lieutenant colonel from the Illinois Army National Guard who identified herself as transgender in 2013. She has been critical of Trump's attempts to ban transgender troops from serving in the military, telling PBS program Chicago Tonight this week that it would cause chaos and destroy morale. Immigration lawyer Adrienne Smith, who has been invited as a panel speaker at the conference, said the Trump administration had spread misinformation and transphobia, leaving members of the trans community feeling very unsafe. "And I think it's important to note that trans people have always been afraid. We have always lived in the shadow of danger, but that danger is much bigger and much closer now," said Smith. She applauded the conference for allowing attendance by video this year for the first time. The first conference of Moving Trans History Forward was held at the university in 2014 with around 100 activists and researchers attending the event. Devor said the context of this year's conference had shifted, with "so much anti-trans rhetoric and organizing." "And we are facing the president of the most powerful nation in the world, who is trying to pretend that trans people do not exist at all, and doing his best to erase any evidence that trans people exist," said Devor. Legal centre overwhelmed with immigration requests Smith, who is the litigation director at Catherine White Holman Wellness Centre, which provides free legal services in Vancouver, said their office has been overwhelmed with immigration requests from trans people hoping to leave the United States and come to Canada. But Smith said there are few immigration pathways available for them. She said the Trump administration wanted trans people to be afraid and withdraw from public life. "And not go to important things like a conference where we can talk about research and human rights, not have us gather, not have us know where each other is, and really to separate us from our community," said Smith. "It's intentional and it's working."
Chicago Tribune
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Former ESPN legal analyst Lester Munson to discuss book on Pete Rose at Batavia Public Library program
Commentator and former ESPN legal analyst Lester Munson will discuss the book 'Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose' by Keith O'Brien during the next Books Between Bites program at the Batavia Public Library on Thursday, March 20. The event, which is free to attend, will go from noon to 1 p.m. at the library, 10 S. Batavia Ave. in Batavia, according to a press release from the library. Reservations are not required. Along with his past work for ESPN, Munson has been a legal analyst and guest on WTTW's 'Chicago Tonight,' according to the release. He will share his thoughts on the new book about former baseball player and manager Pete Rose at the March 20 event. The program will be held in the Founders Room on the main level of the Batavia Public Library. Parking is available in the lot just south and adjacent to the library, officials said. Visitors are invited to bring their lunch and eat as they enjoy the program and discussion, according to the release. Lunch items, beverages and baked goods also may be purchased from Flyleaf Bakery Cafe, located just inside the library and adjacent to the meeting room. For more information about Books Between Bites, go to where a complete schedule and description of each program can be found, along with a printable season schedule, according to the release. Printed season schedules are also available at the library. Chef Showdown fundraising event set in Aurora Chef Showdown, an event to raise funds for Loaves & Fishes Community Services in Naperville, will be held Thursday, April 17, at the organization's Linnea Eleanor Rutkowski Food Distribution Hub in Aurora. Executive chefs from Entourage and Meson Sabika will go head-to-head in a culinary battle to create unique dishes during the competition. The chefs have an hour to create a three-course meal while being observed by a panel of judges. They will be assisted by celebrity sous chefs and Loaves & Fishes supporters, including Adam Fuchs of Wintrust Commercial Banking, Kristen Refness of Endeavor Health, Karen Wells of Make-A-Wish Foundation and Dustin Wilson of Duly Health and Care. Panelists voting on the dishes are 'Chopped' celebrity Chef Alonso Beckford of Aurora from The Matrix Club, John Diederich from Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora, Susana Rivera-Mills from Aurora University and Naperville Mayor Scott Wehrli. The competition will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. inside the Loaves & Fishes Aurora warehouse at 580 Exchange Court, which will be transformed into a kitchen. Tickets are $125, with food provided by My Chef Catering. Special seating, including 'Feel the Heat' seats closer to the competition and 'Chill Out Chairs,' are available. To purchase tickets, go to Documentary to be shown in St. Charles The St. Charles Public Library and Fox Valley Hands of Hope are partnering for a free, public showing of 'Meet Me Where I Am,' a recently released feature documentary, from 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 25, at the library, 1 S. Sixth Ave. in St. Charles. 'Meet Me Where I Am' explores the topic of grief through individual stories of loss, love and hope, according to a press release about the upcoming event. The film aims to normalize grief in our culture and explores how we can actively participate in helping others through grief, according to the release. Fox Valley Hands of Hope has provided grief support to adults, children and families in the area since 1981, with no charge for services, the release noted. To register for the March 25 showing of the documentary, call 630-584-0076. U.S. Rep. Bill Foster to hold town hall meeting U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, is hosting an in-person town hall meeting from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Tuesday, March 18, at Benedictine University, 5700 College Road, Lisle. The event will be held in the university's Goodwin Hall Auditorium, with parking available in the garage south of Goodwin Hall. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Following Foster's presentation, a question-and-answer session will follow, a news release said. Registration is encouraged but not required to attend. To RSVP, go to For questions, call Foster's district office at 630-585-7672. Kane sheriff's, health departments offering free CPR classes The Kane County Sheriff's Office and Health Department will offer free CPR training for the public at the Kane County Sheriff's Office, 37W755 Route 38, St. Charles. Sessions are scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon, 1 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, March 21, and Monday, March 24, according to a webpage for the program. The classes follow the American Heart Association's HeartSaver CPR course and are designed for educational purposes, a news release said. They do not include certification. To register, go to Kane Animal Control holding vaccine, microchip clinics Kane County Animal Control has spring and summer dates open for its drive-thru rabies vaccine and microchip clinics. Clinics will be held at the Kane County Animal Control Facility, 4060 Keslinger Road, Geneva, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 26; 4:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 14; and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 14. A one-year rabies vaccine with tag costs $30 for neutered animals and $55 for non-neutered pets, a news release said. For county residents 65 or older, vaccines are $15 for neutered animals and $25 for non-neutered. Microchipping is $15. Owners must verify their pets have not bitten anyone in the past 10 days. An adult over age 18 must be present to handle their pet. If a pet requires a muzzle, it must be placed on the animal before entering the clinic, the release said.
